Wrestling legend Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart’s maniacal grin and laugh were staples of the wrestling world for decades.

Now, the WWE has announced that the 63-year-old grappler has died.

Dave Meltzer, at the Wrestling Observer website, reported that Neidhart’s death Monday morning “was due to a grand mal seizure related to the Alzheimer’s disease that Neidhart had been suffering from for some time.”

As part of the tag-team powerhouse the Hart Foundation with brother-in-law Bret “The Hitman” Hart, the dastardly duo ruled WWE team combat for years.

“Stunned and saddened. I just don’t have the words right now,” Bret Hart tweeted.

A native of Florida, Neidhart — father of current WWE Superstar and Sun columnist Natalya — entered the squared circle after a short football career with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

He was trained by WWE Hall of Fame legend Stu Hart in the infamous Hart Dungeon in Calgary and earned his ring nickname, The Anvil, after winning an anvil throwing contest.

WWE star Titus O’Neil wrote: “My deepest condolences to my Natalya, Tyson Kidd and their family during this very tough time of loss of a family member not only to you all, but to all of the WWE Family as a whole.”

Neidhart married Bret Hart’s sister, Ellie, to become a member of the legendary Hart Family before making the move to WWE along with Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith when WWE purchased Stampede Wrestling.

Neidhart and Hart were first managed by Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart as The Hart Foundation and won two WWE World Tag Team Championships.

Initially, the new team was decked out in black outfits with blue trim. But in November 1986, a seamstress convinced them to try out hot pink. In a Sun Media column, the Hitman recalled Vince McMahon’s reaction.

“Vince stared, mouth agape and circled us yet again. Oh-oh, we thought, looks like Vince doesn’t like our new gear … Fearing the worst, we were shocked when he enthusiastically said, ‘That is what you guys have been missing all along. You had no colour! That is your colour. From now on, don’t wear anything else!’”

“The Pink and Black Attack” was born.

The burly brawler was released by WWE in the early 1990s, but was back for a brief time, teaming with another brother-in-law, Owen Hart, as The New Hart Foundation.

Later, in 1997, a new Hart Foundation came on the scene. This time, it was Bret who was the focus of the heel group, consisting of Neidhart, Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart. They spat out anti-American/pro-Canadian rhetoric, making them villains on one side of the border, and heroes on the other.

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